Blockchain
ASX Expands C-Suite to Boost Offerings, Partnerships Ahead of Series A Funding

New leadership team is headed by former Spotlight Sports Group Chief Revenue Officer, Mike Griffin
ASX Sports, the only next-generation virtual sports exchange to offer fans live in-game ‘trading’, today unveiled its executive team, positioning the firm to aggressively expand its innovative offerings and partnerships with sports leagues and franchises ahead of its Series A raise, which is expected to close in early 2022.
ASX is creating the first NFTs for sports with listed values that fluctuate in real-time, based on the underlying performance of players and demand in the marketplace. The Miami-based firm recently signed an exclusive agreement with Sky New Zealand and RugbyPass to bring a new generation of fantasy-style gaming to millions of rugby fans worldwide. Beta testing with English Premier League and NCAA Basketball games received overwhelmingly positive responses.
Joining the ASX team, which now numbers 30 employees, are Mike Griffin, Managing Director, Head of Revenue; Thalius Hecksher, Chief Investment Officer; Anthony Puntoriero, President of Business Development, North America; Laughlin Rigby, Chief Marketing Officer; and Ciro Vivacqua, Chief Technology Officer. They will all work closely with ASX President Paddy Power to scale up all aspects of the business and deliver on its growth trajectory.
Paddy Power, President at ASX said: “We now boast the most experienced and innovative leadership team in sports gaming entertainment. Building on our exclusive agreement with RugbyPass, we are poised to expand our partnerships and platform to transform the fan experience and usher in the next generation in fantasy gaming technology and interactivity.”
Mike Griffin has more than 25 years of executive experience in sports, gaming and media. Prior to ASX, he was instrumental in the formation of Spotlight Sports Group (where he also served as Chief Revenue Officer) which transformed the UK and Ireland’s leading sports betting publication the Racing Post into a data and technology company serving millions.
Thalius Hecksher has deep experience in capital introduction and fund management and will be instrumental in both the Series A process and ongoing investor relations. He is the founder of Hecksher Partners, a Miami-based company that invests in and advises innovators in fund management and related growth industries. Earlier in his career, he was global director at Trident Fund Services and Apex Fund Services.
Anthony Puntoriero is an innovator and sports marketing expert. He is the founder of Instant Sponsor, the creator of “Just in Time” branding and sponsorship programs used by major sports leagues around the world.
Laughlin Rigby is a digital marketing and transformation specialist with more than 20 years’ experience. He joins ASX from The Irish Times which he helped establish as the definitive brand for fantasy gaming and paid news and sports content in Ireland.
Ciro Vivacqua is an enterprise architect who brings cloud, big data, blockchain and SOA frameworks expertise to ASX. He has held IT leadership roles at companies in Ireland and Brazil, including the Ergo Group, B2W, Globo.com, Via Varejo and HP.
ASX’s Sports NFT Exchange resembles a virtual stock market and opens the door to a new era in fan engagement, creating a unique second screen and OTT experience in which fans enhance the value of their player portfolios via live, any-time ‘trading’, including in-game, when perceived value might change the most.
Blockchain
Sovrun’s Vision Meets Hyperliquid’s Infrastructure and Virtuals’ AI: A New Era for Gaming

Sovrun’s vision takes a bold step forward with its groundbreaking milestone: one of the first gaming projects to secure a listing on Hyperliquid, a high-performance decentralized exchange redefining liquidity for digital assets.
Liquidity is the backbone of successful gaming economies. Hyperliquid is designed to not only deliver liquidity but also visibility for growing ecosystems, transforming game economies into robust financial systems.
Sovrun, formerly BreederDAO, helped define the rise of blockchain games by developing modular smart contracts that augmented, optimized, and automated in-game functionalities opening up unprecedented opportunities in gaming. Sovrun is well known for its Axie Infinity proprietary breeding bots that allowed them to supply over 120,000 in-game assets to 40,000 players, boosting player liquidity and driving growth.
In their next phase, Sovrun is empowering not only asset creation, but the co-creation of entire virtual worlds using blockchain, AI and modular infrastructure. Backed by prominent investors like a16z, Delphi Digital, Longhash and more, Sovrun is building an ecosystem where gaming communities can collaboratively create, govern, and evolve their digital experiences, broadening the possibilities of creator-driven economies.
Securing a listing on HyperLiquid is just the first step as they plan to strategically build fully on-chain gaming within the cutting-edge infrastructure of HyperEVM, an upcoming component of the HyperLiquid ecosystem. Sovrun’s L2 testnet is now fully live, and is one of the first Layer2s on Hyperliquid. By integrating HyperLiquid’s institutional-grade infrastructure with Sovrun’s growing platform, the project is setting the stage for a seamless convergence of gaming, blockchain, and financial liquidity.
Sovrun and Virtuals Joint Venture
While the HyperLiquid partnership is turning heads, the joint venture between Virtuals Protocol and Sovrun, known as Ready Gamer, is set to power up gaming by integrating AI-powered experiences into web3 ecosystems. Imagine an RPG where NPCs remember your choices across in-game years, their attitudes shifting dynamically, or a strategy game where AI opponents learn and adapt to your tactics with every session. Virtuals’ GAME framework, a decision-making engine enabling AI agents with dynamic interaction, forms the foundation of this collaboration.
Together, Virtuals and Sovrun are delivering unscripted, personalized, and deeply immersive gaming experiences.
Autonomous Worlds (AW), or self-sustaining, player driven ecosystems, are the focus as Sovrun unlocks new dimensions of interaction and scalability, still sorely lacking in the gaming ecosystem. Through Sovrun’s AW architecture, players and creators can shape, grow, and evolve their virtual worlds making them genuine architects of their gaming experiences.
Traditional games struggle with a heavy demand for fresh content, but AW offers a community led model where game elements can be continuously expanded and reshaped by the players themselves. But what exactly does that mean?
The Sovrun Participation Layer allows communities to engage and influence game economies, and Sovrun is acquiring assets of top projects like My Pet Hooligan, Pixels, and Azra Games to name a few. In the crowd-built virtual world EVE Frontier for example, Sovrun developed a system that allowed for the development of eSports ecosystems into the game itself.
Now, by integrating with HyperEVM, tapping into the HyperLiquid ecosystem, and partnering with Virtuals, Sovrun is amplifying its mission to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where creators don’t just participate in autonomous worlds—they build them. This collaboration ensures that Sovrun is not only positioned as a leader in Web3 gaming, but also as a catalyst for the global adoption of decentralized gaming economies. HyperEVM’s ability to support high-scale, on-chain transactions ensures Sovrun’s platform can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy while the joint venture with Virtuals adds an immersive layer of dynamic interactions set to reshape web3 gaming.
Blockchain
Traderland.io Launches a Fusion of Gaming and Investment Training

Traderland.io, an innovative interactive trading simulator gaming universe, has officially launched. The dynamic trading platform offers users the chance to immerse themselves in a socially-driven game landscape while honing their investment and asset-trading skills. Since its initial release, Traderland.io has rapidly gained popularity, attracting over 15,000 users.
Traderland.io stands out by utilizing real-time market data, allowing users to experience an immersive and realistic trading environment. Players can engage in trading activities that reflect live market conditions, providing a true-to-life simulation that enhances their learning experience.
In the Traderland.io universe, players are represented by customizable animated avatars. These avatars enable users to explore various cities within the platform, each offering unique challenges and opportunities. A significant feature is the ability to invest in virtual real estate across eight distinct regions, each with varying price points.
A core element of the Traderland.io experience is its tutorials, which are grounded in real-life trading scenarios. Users can choose to navigate these lessons with the guidance of a coach who is available to answer questions and provide step-by-step assistance.
Traderland.io offers a broad selection of virtual assets for users to trade, including forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and futures. By trading these assets, players can gain practical experience and understand the intricacies of different investment vehicles.
The asset prices within the platform mirror actual market fluctuations, allowing traders to observe the impact of their decisions and adapt their strategies accordingly. Players can monitor their gains and losses through a comprehensive dashboard, providing a snapshot of their portfolio’s performance.
One of the platform’s most exciting features is the opportunity for players to engage in trading battles and tournaments against traders from around the world. These competitions not only elevate the excitement but also offer the chance to win real money, adding a tangible reward to the virtual trading experience.
The investment landscape is expanding rapidly, with the cryptocurrency market alone projected to grow to $13.18 billion by 2031. As more investors enter the market, Traderland.io aims to bridge the knowledge gap by educating users about various assets through an engaging, gamified approach. By participating in real-time trading and completing the tutorials, players can enter the investment space with confidence and competence.
Traderland.io is available exclusively through its website, offering a unique and comprehensive trading simulator that combines education, competition, and community engagement.
Blockchain
Rivalry Expands Crypto Native Experience With Token Launch in H2 2024, Web3 Product Enhancements

Blockchain-Based Product to Position Rivalry Within Fast-Growing Crypto Gambling Segment, Drive Product-Market Fit Among Digitally Native Bettors with Increased Functionality and User Experiences
Rivalry, the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Gen Z, revealed Rivalry Token, a native crypto token on the blockchain to add increased functionality, economics, and user experiences across the company’s product suite, continuing Rivalry’s track record of innovation in online betting. The launch of Rivalry Token, anticipated to arrive in H2 2024, represents one of several forthcoming initiatives to position Rivalry in the crypto gambling market and better serve its core audience of 30-and-under bettors.
“Online gambling is the latest web-based consumer category being increasingly disrupted by blockchain technologies with greater speed, access, and functionality than their legacy counterparts,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO, Rivalry. “Tech-savvy bettors are leading a behavioral shift towards more experiential and crypto-enabled gambling experiences that are taking wallet share from incumbents at an accelerated rate.”
“Rivalry is well-positioned to access the growth opportunity in crypto with a proven product set, a brand entrenched in internet culture, and a captive audience of digitally native users that are driving this economic renaissance,” Salz added. “The launch of Rivalry Token, alongside a broader expansion into cryptocurrencies, strengthens our product-market fit among an under-30 audience and positions us competitively to capture a meaningful share of this fast-growing segment of the market.”
Rivalry Token will be integrated within Rivalry’s product suite – from sportsbook to casino and more – with built-in properties to enhance the customer experience from end-to-end. Users can earn tokens through site activity such as betting and referring friends, which can be used on Rivalry to boost odds, participate in jackpots, and more to be detailed in the future. Rivalry Token will also be available on several to-be-announced crypto exchange platforms, trading under $RVLRY.
Rivalry Token creates a new dynamic relationship between player and house where every sports wager and casino spin, win or lose, is rewarded with a decentralized asset that can accrue value alongside player activity on Rivalry. The company expects its token will drive a meaningful increase in player engagement, loyalty, and advocacy by establishing more positive economic alignment and enabling customers to actively participate in product success.
Rivalry has today launched a pre-farming campaign where users can begin accumulating an interim currency through site activity and eventually social media which will be converted into Rivalry Token during the token generation event in H2 2024. Additionally, tokens will be distributed to all Rivalry accounts based on historical activity, rewarding loyal customers and creating a substantial reactivation opportunity for churned users.
Rivalry will also soon be adding greater support for other cryptocurrencies on its platform, allowing users to more easily bet with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and other major cryptocurrencies. This will enable Rivalry to access a fast-growing audience gambling with crypto that is estimated to account for up to one quarter of global betting handle.
Following the official launch, Rivalry Token will be available for players to use on Rivalry in all of the company’s active markets excluding Ontario and Australia.
The company will release more information about Rivalry Token throughout the coming months, including commercial partners, token economics, and more.
-
Canada6 days ago
Online casino with a Nordic twist enters yet another market as it continues to deploy its ambitious international expansion plans
-
eSports6 days ago
PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
4ThePlayer Games Secures Certification for the Brazilian Market!
-
partnerships6 days ago
Delaware Park Converts from VizExplorer to Quick Custom Intelligence’s (QCI) Enterprise Platform
-
Latest News6 days ago
Blokotech appoints Nicolas Castearena as Commercial Director LATAM
-
Canada5 days ago
BCLC Launches “What’s played here stays here” Campaign
-
Latest News6 days ago
Confut USA and BetExpo explore the football and iGaming market
-
Latest News6 days ago
Eugene Ravdin from SEOBROTHERS joins the SiGMA Awards Americas jury